NEW DELHI, March 9: Soft-Drinks giant Pepsi on Monday defended its export basket, claiming that it `consisted of only manufactured products'. The statement is perceived as a reaction to Samata Party president George Fernandes' comments in The Financial Express on multinational companies' export obligations.Pepsi's exports from India include basmati rice, cola concentrate, PET pre-form bottles, plastic crates, glass bottles, packaging material for KFC and Pizza Hut abroad such as paper cups and boxes, said company officials.However, Pepsi officials remained tight-lipped on the exact per cent of each product in the total exports of the company.
Pepsi also said that it had never exported Rajasthani stones, as claimed by the Samata Party leader in recent interviews to the press. Pepsi said that it had made exports worth Rs 600 crore between 1994-97. In 1997 alone, over Rs 200 crore worth of exports were made by the soft drinks major.
"We have set-up three dedicated factories in India just for exports "said a company official. On the agricultural exports front, the company has exported branded Basmati rice, chilli paste and tomato paste.
George Fernandes, who is tipped to occupy a key position in a BJP-led government, has recently stated that there is a need for a probe into various deals with MNCs.
He had particularly cited the case of Pepsi, stating that the soft drinks company had been permitted to export fish, rice and Rajasthani stones rather than the cola and concentrate exports which were originally stipulated by the government.
